Would you like a cup of tea?
by NAO-chan33
Summary: "As our first taste tester, I again welcome you to my auntie's cafe, Keika Cafe!" Hotaru professionally poured some tea from the teapot into his cup. Mob, remembering the first time he encountered her at the cafe, smiled as he sipped his tea. It was just the way he liked it. "And I'm happy to be here, Taru." She grinned at him brightly. "Glad that you feel that way!" (Mob x OC)
1. Rooibos Tea

**This is a story that I had in mind a few months ago, so I decided to write the first chapter to see if it's a story that I want to continue writing. It's very much like a hybrid between a flash fanfic and a drabble fic. Just writing in the way that I want. **

**It will be following the anime/manga. This story will also be very much a slice-of-life, friendship (between Hotaru and Mob), and relaxing type of fanfic. So if you want angst or whatever, you won't find that here until perhaps the end of the story. There are a lot of hints as to what might make it angsty at the end, but we shall see. :) Enjoy and share me your thoughts! **

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

A young middle school student sat quietly at the corner of the cafe, staring out the window with a listless gaze. A girl, similar to his age, glanced at him momentarily before standing up from her seat from the other side of the counter.

"Hotaru?" Her aunt looked at her in surprise as if it was rare for the younger female to suddenly get up from her seat.

"It's nothing, auntie." She sent a small smile at the older woman. As she approached the dark haired male, she noticed the way his presence seemed to blend in with the comfortable atmosphere of the cafe and yet also seemed to be very disconnected at the same time. By the time she reached his table, she held up a notepad. "Hello."

He looked up at her, seemingly almost startled. "Hello." He replied quietly as though he never spoke to other females before.

"I couldn't help but notice that you haven't ordered anything yet."

This made him panic a little. "Ah, well… I actually…" She now knew why he seemed so disconnected in this cafe. It was most likely his first time at a cafe - alone.

"There is nothing to worry about, my dear customer." Her words comforted him as he nodded slowly towards her, which made her smile a little. "Ahem… Then… For starters… Would you like a cup of tea?" The moment she finished her question, she let out a disarming smile.

He blinked and then minutely nodded. "Ah, but…" He seemed embarrassed. "I don't know which tea…"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. Glancing around the cafe and then at the clock, she then whispered in his ear. "Since there aren't many customers right now, you can taste test some of our teas." She then backed away, smiling at him brightly.

"Is… Is that okay?" The middle school student glanced at the floor, unsure of what to do.

"How about this?" Hotaru sat down across from him with an excitable gaze. "I will let you taste test our best blends today, but once every week, whenever you're free, come over at this time, maybe for thirty minutes or so, and you'll have to taste a new type of blend and give me feedback."

"Eh?" He blinked at her in surprise. "Are you sure that you want me to do that?"

"...Why not?" Hotaru glanced out the window and then back at him. "Instead of having a tea specialist come by to taste test, I would rather have someone like you do that. I don't even need to know your name. You don't need to tell me." She leaned against the chair. "Someone anonymous. Someone unfamiliar. Sometimes, isn't it nice to be with a stranger who you sorta know but don't know? A change in pace..."

"..." He only stared at her in a blank manner as he then fiddled with his hands.

She continued, leaning against her arm. "You can call me Taru."

"...Taru… To be worthy of…" He murmured to himself thoughtfully.

"And I'll call you Hope. Is that okay with you?" She stood back up from her seat and grabbed her notepad that was on the table.

"Eh? Hope?" He seemed to panic with the sudden nickname.

She laughed a little. "I haven't told you my real name, so it's fine if I call you Hope, right?"

"I… That's fine…" He stared at the table as if unsure.

She clapped once and then grabbed his arm gently. "Now that we got that settled, Hope, let's get you taste testing our best blends!"

He glanced down at her hand that held his arm before following her to the counter. By the time he realized that he was sitting at the counter, he already had an empty cup ready for him in front of him. "Eh…?"

"Welcome to my auntie's cafe, Keika Cafe, Hope!" Hotaru professionally poured hot medium dark brown liquid from the teapot into his cup from the counter. "As our first taste tester, I will be having you taste our special Rooibos tea. It's an herbal tea that has been known to alleviate headaches and other medical symptoms, so if you get lots of headaches, then this tea would be a good choice for you."

He glanced at the tea with uncertainty. "Is there a way to drink this?"

She handed him a container with sugar cubes and a cold pitcher of milk. "You can sip it plain… or you can add in sugar and milk until it's the way you like it. I personally enjoy it plain, but it's all about personal preference." She then smiled brightly. "It has no caffeine, so even if you drink it at night, it won't affect your sleeping."

He then took a hesitant sip. After a few seconds of silence and of him sipping, he could taste the slight nuttiness and earthy flavor of the tea. "This...is really easy to drink." He murmured to himself.

She beamed at his words. "Herbal teas tend to be easier on the body and easier for people to enjoy!"

He smiled at her as if a new world opened up for him. "I like it." He then flushed as if not used to stating his opinion.

"I'm glad you do." She smiled gently at him.

* * *

**Keika = Light of a Firefly**

**You can probably guess as to who that boy was! It'll be a slow beginning, but just like tea, it'll taste best when it reaches its peak point in time and then only get deeper into the bitter tastes as time goes by.**

**I love getting reviews, even if it's a small support message, your reactions to the story, or constructive criticism. It helps me see that you are truly enjoying my story and that you want to help us improve my writing. However, if you don't like the story, due to plot or due to other reasons, then you are free to stop reading, but flames will not be accepted or appreciated. Thank you for understanding and for supporting my work! I look forward to hearing from everyone!**


	2. Lavender Tea

**Yay for tea and Mob Psycho! Enjoy your time at Keika Cafe!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"Have you heard of Keika Cafe, Tsubomi-chan?" One of her friends asked her right when Mob walked past them.

"Ah, I heard that they specialize in tea." Tsubomi smiled at her. "I always thought about going there one day."

"Then let's go together over the weekend!"

He paused in his steps the moment he heard that. "Keika… Cafe…?" He suddenly remembered the weekend before when he found himself inside a cafe, not really understanding why he decided to enter into it in the first place. It was unlike him to go to such locations, after all. "Taru…" Then what was stranger was how he accepted to go to the cafe weekly to taste test Taru's tea, but then again, he experienced weirder things in the past. He sighed to himself a little. "Why did I…"

"Instead of over the weekend, let's go today!" Tsubomi let out a crystal clear laughter.

Mob blushed at the sound of his crush's laugh. "She's so cute…" As he left the building, he paused in his steps. "Maybe I can head over there today instead…?" While he thought about it, his feet led him to the entrance of Keika Cafe.

Like before, the soft scent of flowers and fruits seeped from the entrance door. He paused right when he was about to grab onto the door handle. "But…" He remembered that Taru asked him to come over during the weekend at a certain time. "But that was just for taste testing…" he murmured to himself as he finally opened the entrance door, catching the full blast of the delicate and crystal clear scents of the teas that they were brewing.

His cheeks flushed a little. "It smells nice…"

"Welcome to Keika Cafe." Taru's aunt smiled warmly at the customer. "Oh! You're my niece's taste tester! Hope, was it?"

"Ah… Yes…" He gave her a small smile, a bit shy and uncertain about what to do.

"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll brew you the best tea you've ever tasted!" The older woman let out a hearty laugh. Mob only gave a polite nod. As she faced the many shelves, she then murmured. "Unfortunately, my niece isn't here today since she only comes during the weekend."

"Ah, I wasn't here to…" Mob stood up from his seat.

Taru's aunt let out another hearty laughter. "It's okay, young man. I was only joking around! But in case you really wanted to do the taste testing and drinking her tea, then come by again during the weekend at the time that you both decided on."

He nodded before glancing out the window. A lot of students walked by as it was time for school to end. The older woman then faced the shelves again as she swiftly poured a teaspoon of loose leaf tea into a teapot. "...Is she at school?" He murmured softly.

Taru's aunt paused minutely before pouring the hot water into the teapot. "Well… Something like that." Somehow, it seemed like a topic that he should not delve into. "Anyways, gotta wait five minutes and your lavender tea will be ready."

"Oh…" Mob blinked. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, kid." She smiled brightly at him as she sat across the counter. "You know… If you don't want to taste test, you don't need to. We aren't going to force you." She sipped her own tea.

"Ma'am…" Mob stared down at his own empty cup. "I…"

Taru's aunt let out a small sigh, looking outside of the window. "You kids have it rough in my opinion, so if there's something else that you want to do, then go do that instead." She looked down at her hands. "Because people are judgmental and only care about themselves… So-" The strong glint in her eyes captured his attention. "-if you feel like everyone is stopping you but you yourself want to do something, then go for it. You only have one life, after all." She smiled sadly to herself.

He could feel a sense of almost desperation and grief in her tone. He could not say anything else to her, only absorbing the kindness in her words as he reflected on his life so far.

"Also," Taru's aunt grinned, "-you don't need to call me ma'am. Just call me auntie like what everyone else does!"

"A-auntie…" Mob hesitantly said to her. She patted his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Good, good." She then stood up from her seat. "Seems like five minutes is up!" Grabbing the teapot carefully, she poured the dark periwinkle liquid into his cup. A light floral scent permeated the room. He somehow felt relaxed when he held the warm cup in his hands.

It really was a perfect day.

And then he realized, by the time he left the cafe, that he never found out if Tsubomi and her friends even came to the cafe in the first place.

"Ah…" Disappointment lingered inside of him until he remembered the nice warm cup of tea that he had earlier. Smiling to himself, he finally began to walk back home again.

* * *

**I love getting reviews, even if it's a small support message, your reactions to the story, or constructive criticism. It helps me see that you are truly enjoying my story and that you want to help us improve my writing. However, if you don't like the story, due to plot or due to other reasons, then you are free to stop reading, but flames will not be accepted or appreciated. Thank you for understanding and for supporting my work! I look forward to hearing from everyone!**


	3. Vanilla Tea

**This story will be pretty short in content and fast in pacing, so hold onto your seat because it's gonna be a bumpy ride! Haha**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"Oh, you're here." Hotaru smiled as Mob came in through the entrance door. "I was wondering if you were going to back out, but seeing that you're here, I guess I underestimated you." He stood stiffly until she patted on a chair next to her. "C'mon. I got your tea ready already."

"Ah, right." He awkwardly sat down. His oddly detached behavior felt more mellow, compared to before, which made her glance into his eyes, eyes that somehow hinted of liveliness and hope.

"It seems like you're pretty happy today. Did something good happen today? Or yesterday?" She poured the tea into his cup as he fidgeted in his seat.

"Well…" He strangely felt compelled to talk - or perhaps, he just wanted to share his success in joining a club that he felt would help him reach his goal. "I joined the Body Improvement Club!"

"...Body Improvement Club?" She blinked in confusion, scrunching up her face as if she was trying to imagine what that was. "What do you do in that kind of club?"

"We run… Do squats… Lift…" Mob let out a small sigh, despite the smile on his face. "They're all really nice."

Hotaru laughed as she patted him on the back lightly. "Sounds like you're having fun, even if it's hard work!"

"...Fun…" Mob's smile widened a little bit more. "Fun… You're right. I'm having fun…!" He then noticed how the sweet scent of vanilla permeated the air. Somehow, he could imagine himself eating freshly baked sugar cookies. "This tea…"

"Isn't it irresistible?" Hotaru stood up from her seat and twirled around, her eyes sparkling with immense delight. "I even baked some sugar cookies to go with this." She placed a small plate of sugar cookies next to his cup. "You can eat it in two ways. One, you dip the cookie into the tea and take a bite out of it before taking a sip from your tea. Two, you take a bite out of the cookie and then take a sip of your tea." She smiled excitedly, waiting for him to choose out of the two options.

"!" There was a feeling of anticipation that he felt, almost digging deep into his soul. His fingers trembled as he picked up the cookie with his hand. He watched how the cookie softened while absorbing some of the liquid. Biting into it, the rich sweet flavor of vanilla exploded into his mouth, making his good mood go up even more than usual. His cheeks flushed and his eyes glistened of unexplainable joy. It was at this moment that he wondered if Tsubomi would have liked this tea - just like how he was enjoying it.

"So?" Hotaru interrupted his imagination. "How is it?" She grinned, waiting in anticipation for his response.

"It's delicious… I never knew that tea could be so tasty…" He murmured to her as he stared down at his tea.

She leaned against her seat. "It's all about experimenting and trying new things. That's the only way for you to truly know if you like something or not."

"...Then have you tried something new for that reason?" Mob looked at her, waiting for an answer.

Hotaru blinked before staring at the ceiling. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "I…" Her gaze then directed towards the floor. "I suppose if you count brewing and tasting different kinds of tea, then yes. But…" She almost looked lost. "For other things… To change myself… I'm doing it little by little now. What about you?"

Someone who was similar to him - that is what he felt after listening to her words. "I'm trying to change myself too, so that's why I joined the Body Improvement Club!" His voice sounded louder than before.

This made her smile warmly at him. "I see. Then I'll cheer you on, Hope! We'll both change into someone who we wanted and want to be!" She pumped her fist into the air.

Mob's expression brightened. "Yes, let's do our best, Taru!"

* * *

**I love getting reviews, even if it's a small support message, your reactions to the story, or constructive criticism. It helps me see that you are truly enjoying my story and that you want to help us improve my writing. However, if you don't like the story, due to plot or due to other reasons, then you are free to stop reading, but flames will not be accepted or appreciated. Thank you for understanding and for supporting my work! I look forward to hearing from everyone!**

**Thank you for the follow/favorite, slowlysloths! Highly appreciate it~!**


	4. Chamomile Tea

**Yay for another chapter!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Mob sighed for the millionth time as he sipped his chamomile tea. Following right after his sigh, Hotaru let out a deep sigh, breaking the silence. He looked up at her questioningly. "Is something wrong, Taru?"

"...Yes, there is something wrong." Her face scrunched up as if she was not sure how to explain herself.

"What happened?" He had been sulking and feeling a bit down ever since he dissolved the LOL organization. It did not help that Reigen talked about how he was destructively dense as well, but that was not the point right now.

"Well…" Hotaru let out another deep sigh. "It's just that people can be so selfish and I realized, again, how destructive that selfishness can be towards others…sometimes...in a very negative manner. And… I just feel guilty for running from that kind of selfishness since it just shows that I'm selfish too." She then sat down next to him, holding the cup in her own hands. As she looked at the cup in a contemplating manner, he also stared at his own cup.

"That's hard to think about." Mob began. "But…if that selfishness is hurting you or the people around them a lot, then I don't think you should feel guilty for running from that kind of person." It was at this moment that he felt more connected to her, reminding him of how he felt guilty about dissolving the LOL organization, even though that organization did more harm than good.

"...I always thought that you were out of it, Hope, but I guess I underestimated you again." Hotaru smiled at him. "Maybe it's high time that I think of you as some amazing person, after all! It wouldn't do if I underestimated you again!" She threw her fist into the air to show her enthusiasm.

Mob sipped his tea. "I'm not that...amazing." He touched the rim of his cup. "You're more amazing, Taru…for being able to brew this."

"..." Hotaru blinked, observing him thoughtfully. "Hope, don't bring yourself down. You really are an amazing person. Aren't you doing your best to change and improve yourself? From what I've been hearing from you about your school life, it sounds fulfilling and fun."

He let out a small sigh. "But-"

"Hope, you really are doing a lot more than others out there. While it does take hard work and diligence to change, you are taking the right steps towards it, starting with that Body Improvement Club." She gave him a thumbs up. "That quality of yours is admirable."

His eyes widened and he smiled a little at her words. "Thank you, Taru."

"Now then…" Hotaru's aunt came out from the back of the cafe. "Here are the new cookies I baked! Try them, you two!" She placed the plate of cookies in between the two.

"Thank you, auntie." Mob lowered his head briefly to show his respect to her.

She grinned and ruffled his hair. "It's nice to hear that, Hope. Enjoy them!"

"Thanks, auntie. You're the best!" Hotaru gave her a thumbs up and then grabbed a cookie from the plate.

Her aunt let out a hearty laugh before heading back to the kitchen. "I'll be back here, so holler if you need me!"

"Okay!" The two piped up as they dug into the plate of cookies.

* * *

**I love getting reviews, even if it's a small support message, your reactions to the story, or constructive criticism. It helps me see that you are truly enjoying my story and that you want to help us improve my writing. However, if you don't like the story, due to plot or due to other reasons, then you are free to stop reading, but flames will not be accepted or appreciated. Thank you for understanding and for supporting my work! I look forward to hearing from everyone!**


	5. Ginger Lemon Tea

**Sorry for the late upload. It's been difficult to have solid time to write. Hope you enjoy!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Mob sighed to himself before glancing at Dimple. "You don't need to go with me." The ghost merely ignored his wishes and continued to follow along. Slight annoyance pierced his heart, but he put it to the side. Instead, his mind darkened with the thoughts of how he was unable to change and ended up destroying Black Vinegar School. His hands curled into tight fists and then he released them. '_I… I'm hopeless._'

Nevertheless, he entered Keika Cafe with gloomy eyes.

Hotaru turned around with a bright expression. As always, she held a teapot in one hand and the other with a loose leaf tin can. "Welcome, Hope!"

Hope…

He wished that he could be seen as hope to someone, but…

"Is something the matter, Hope?" Hotaru walked up to him after setting the teapot and can aside. She tilted her head, so that she can meet his eyes with hers. He flinched a little.

"I…" He did not feel comfortable enough to tell her, but not many were comfortable to tell someone about how they truly felt about something important to them. Hotaru watched him patiently for a few minutes in silence before pulling on his hand. "Eh?" He looked at her startled.

"Well, you should sit down and have some tea first." She went behind the counter with a warm smile. "Today's tea is Ginger Lemon. It's good for your stomach and is also great to drink when you have a cold." She poured the hot tea into his cup. "For me, I like to drink it when I'm feeling down or worried though...because it warms you up a lot." Sadness flickered in her eyes, but before he could register it, she smiled at him happily - with anticipation.

His cheeks flushed slightly as he then looked down at his cup. "Then… I will try it now." He murmured to her quietly. Somehow, it felt nice being with her. Even if they did not know each other - no, because they do not know each other, he felt comfortable knowing that she would not judge him about anything. '_Or maybe…_'

After he took a sip, the spicy taste of the ginger zapped him with a startling warmth, but before that spice could put him off, the blooming sourness of the lemon and the hints of honey wrapped around him like a comforting blanket. He could not help his smile - the smile that was not there earlier. "It's delicious…"

"Isn't it?" Hotaru let out a small laugh as she also took a sip of her own. "Mmm… So good."

"...Taru." Mob finally whispered out her nickname.

"Yes?" She took another sip.

"I failed to change."

That was all Mob said to her.

She tilted her head to the side and stared at him. She tapped her chin lightly before giving out a sad smile. "I see. Is that why you're feeling down today?"

"Yes…" Mob answered quietly as he sipped his tea to hide his expression and to not see her disappointment.

"Well… I don't think you should feel that down yet." Her words surprised him, making him look up at her. "Changing yourself isn't that simple and you're only starting to develop yourself. You can't expect to have such fast results." She grabbed a biscuit from the small plate. "But the fact that you acknowledge that you didn't do well this time shows that you're learning and that's better than not learning at all and repeating the same mistake, right?"

Mob's self-hatred started to fade away at her words. '_She believes in me…_' He looked down at his tea again. "Then do you think I'll be able to change?"

At his question, she mustered up the biggest smile she could make. "Of course, you can! Just believe in yourself, as much as I believe in you! I might not have known you for too long, but I can tell that you're a good guy. So even if you make a mistake, I'm sure that you'll try to fix it and do better next time!"

"Okay." He smiled a little before taking a biscuit from the small plate and nibbling on it. His heart felt lighter - as if a small burden was lifted from his shoulders.

"Now then…" She stood up from her seat, going behind the counter. "I have to fill up these containers, so I'll be at the back. Enjoy the rest of the tea and biscuits, okay? I'll be back soon."

"Ah, okay." Mob watched as Hotaru juggled empty containers to the back of the store. He smiled a little before sipping his tea again. '_Warm…_'

"You know, Mob." Dimple appeared out of nowhere.

"Ah, you were still here?" Mob blankly asked.

"..." Dimple sighed. "I was always here. You just ignored me the entire time. Anyways, you shouldn't be friends with that girl. It's not a good idea."

Somehow, Dimple's words irritated Mob. His fingers twitched on the cup. '_What right did he have…?_'

"Your friendship with her won't end well."

Mob took a deep breath. "And why is that?" He needed to know. Perhaps, Dimple knew something that he didn't know?

However, Dimple did not answer and merely floated away.

By the time Hotaru came back, she noticed that Mob looked a little agitated than normal. "...Hope, is something wrong?"

"Eh?" He snapped out of his mumblings and his cheeks flushed a little from embarrassment. "Ah, yes. I'm fine." He then gave her a comforting smile. "Thank you for the tea."

Deciding to give him space, she smiled back at him. "In that case, that's a relief. Glad that you enjoyed the tea and that you're feeling better now!" Mob continued to smile at her before he glanced at Dimple in the corner of his eye.

Dimple, however, sighed in the background. "Don't blame me later." He murmured to himself, watching the girl with wary eyes.

* * *

**I love getting reviews, even if it's a small support message, your reactions to the story, or constructive criticism. It helps me see that you are truly enjoying my story and that you want to help us improve my writing. However, if you don't like the story, due to plot or due to other reasons, then you are free to stop reading, but flames will not be accepted or appreciated. Thank you for understanding and for supporting my work! I look forward to hearing from everyone!**

**Thank you to FanFanTheGalaxy for the follow and to everyone else who followed/favorited the fanfic!**


	6. Chai Tea

**Here's another upload of this story! Been sick with a URI, so that's why I haven't been writing as fast. Hope you enjoy~!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Mob and Hotaru sat together in silence as they both looked out the window blankly. The sky was freshly blue with clearly outlined white clouds hovering above them. "Today is such a relaxing day, isn't it, Hope?" Hotaru leaned against her chair.

"It is…" He looked up at the sky as if he was used to sky gazing.

"It's been a while since you last came here too…" She murmured to herself.

"..." Mob let out a small sigh, recalling how he had teamed up with Teru and Dimple to save Ritsu and the Awakening Labs kids from Claw.

Noticing that he was getting distracted by his thoughts, she smiled at him. "So what's your favorite type of sky?"

"Hm?" He blinked in confusion before a thoughtful expression settled on his face. "Well… I like normal skies with some clouds… Not enough for rain to come, but enough to cover some of the sunlight."

"Ah, the typical sunny days then." Hotaru tapped her chin.

Mob took a sip of his Chai tea. "What about you?"

"I like…" There was a great pause of silence. Her smile suddenly dimmed. He set his cup down and turned his gaze from the sky to her expression. "I don't have a favorite since I never thought about it before." Her facial expression remained almost empty - as if she lost herself. However, in seconds, she reverted back to an excitable one. "But! I do want to see HUGEEEE rainbows and have fluffy clouds floating around a bright blue sky!"

"That would be nice to see." He murmured to her, gazing down at his Chai tea.

That was when Hotaru leaned against her arm. "So how do you like the tea today?" Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she asked that.

He blinked and then took another sip of his tea. "It's very… milky and filling. I like it." He set the cup down. "It's very flavorful and deep, but with just enough lightness that reminds me of the clouds during the autumn days…"

She nodded her head in agreement. "You have a way with words, Hope."

"...Really?" Mob stared at her in surprise. "That… I never heard that from anyone before…"

She sipped her tea before leaning against her seat again. "Is that so… Well, it's what I think." Before silence could settle in between them, she changed the subject. "So what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Eh?" It was so random that it took Mob a moment to process her question. "Ah, well… I don't really know yet, but… I do know that I want to become a person who is capable of confessing to the girl I like." He blushed as he whispered the last part. "What about you, Taru?"

"...I don't know." She smiled brightly, heavy silence settling in between them right after.

Mob fidgeted with the cup and then murmured to her. "...Then how about owning a cafe since you love tea?"

Hotaru held the cup to her lips and set it back down, looking down at it with a bittersweet smile. "Perhaps…"

* * *

**I love getting reviews, even if it's a small support message, your reactions to the story, or constructive criticism. It helps me see that you are truly enjoying my story and that you want to help us improve my writing. However, if you don't like the story, due to plot or due to other reasons, then you are free to stop reading, but flames will not be accepted or appreciated. Thank you for understanding and for supporting my work! I look forward to hearing from everyone!**

**Thank you to the following for the favorites, follows, and review: TheParadoxicalOxymoron, Mortred101, Marioturtle, and Micha247!**


	7. Wedding Tea

**Another update! Enjoy!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"So what happened?" Hotaru crossed her arms with a displeased expression on her face as Mob sat on a chair with his hands on his knees as if to apologize to her. "You haven't been gone this long before. What happened?"

"...I… A lot... Things happened." He murmured to her nervously. "Can I...explain while you sit? It might take...a while."

"..." She glared at him before pulling out a chair for herself. Once she sat down, she leaned against her arm. "So? Get started."

He swallowed hard. "Well… I took part in the election...for the Student Council President position."

At those words, Hotaru's expression brightened up. "Why didn't you say so from the beginning?! That's great! So how did it go? Did you get the position?"

Mob's face paled further. "I… I got last place."

Hotaru paused, guilt settling inside of her. "Oh. I see."

"It's because I froze up during my speech…"

Somehow, this made her feel irritation towards the school population. "Is that so? Then they clearly have no eyes if they made you get last place, just because of that…" She muttered under her breath.

Mob, feeling the irritation radiating from her, waved his arms in front of her frantically. "B-but because of that, I got a girlfriend!"

"Eh…?" Hotaru blankly stared at him before smiling excitedly at him. "Well, isn't this great news?! I'm so proud of you! To think that you got a girlfriend that way! Good job, Hope!"

"...But I got rejected in the end."

"..." It felt like her soul was leaving her body at that point. "I… I see… So she has no eyes either." She sighed to herself, rubbing her forehead to get rid of the stress she was getting from his story. "And how do you feel about it?"

"...I don't mind now...since I did learn from it." He smiled sadly to himself. "I feel like I became a stronger person because of it. So that's why I don't mind."

"In that case, that's a relief." She stood up from the chair and went behind the counter. She pulled out a loose leaf can and began to scoop a little bit of the loose leaf mixture into the teapot. After she poured the hot water into it and put the cover on top of the teapot, she then looked at him. "As long as you learned from it and became a better person from that experience, then I suppose that it was worthwhile going through all of that."

He smiled a bittersweet one at her words.

She then poured the tea into his usual cup. "Then for good luck in the future, here's the perfect tea for you. Perhaps, it might even change you into the person that you want to be!"

"What is it called?" Mob stared at the dark yellow-green liquid. "It smells nice…" Sweet creamy vanilla, light citrus notes, and a vegetal light smell swirled in the air.

"This is called Wedding Tea." She smiled brighter than before.

"...Eh? Wait. Why is this good luck then?" Mob blinked in confusion.

She giggled to herself as she sat down in her chair. "It's because the tea is filled with wishes and hopes for you to get married to someone perfect for you! And doesn't that mean that you'll be the person that you want to be once you get married?"

"Ah…" He flushed a deep red. "I… I guess so… I never...thought of that...before…"

"Anyways, let's take a sip already?" She suggested with a bright expression.

They then drank the tea together as they enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere inside of the cafe in silence.

* * *

**I love getting reviews, even if it's a small support message, your reactions to the story, or constructive criticism. It helps me see that you are truly enjoying my story and that you want to help us improve my writing. However, if you don't like the story, due to plot or due to other reasons, then you are free to stop reading, but flames will not be accepted or appreciated. Thank you for understanding and for supporting my work! I look forward to hearing from everyone!**


	8. Very Bitter Tea

**Another update! Probably the last update for this week. Maybe. Anyways, enjoy!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Mob shuddered as he sat down with Hotaru and her aunt. "And so I have come to the conclusion that grandmas are scary."

Hotaru's aunt burst out into loud laughter. "How on earth did you come to such a conclusion, Hope?!"

Hotaru, on the other hand, held a very serious expression. "You're right, Hope. Grandmas are terrifying. They are like another type of species."

Mob looked up at her with a hopeful gaze. "They really are…"

At this moment, Hotaru's aunt started to pound her hand against the table as she laughed even harder than before. By the time she finally calmed down, she then talked to them in a normal tone. "But you know… I think urban legends are scarier than grandmas."

"Ehhh?" Hotaru pouted a little. "Urban legends are fun to listen to though… I never took auntie to be the type to get scared of such things…"

Mob fidgeted with the cup. "Urban legends aren't scary at all… at least, compared to the grandmas."

The two paused, clearly lingering in their thoughts. Suddenly, they shuddered in horror before smiling at each other in amusement.

Hotaru's aunt sighed a little before pouring Mob some tea.

"So Hope, do you have any urban legends that you know about? I want to hear some!" Hotaru's eyes seemed to sparkle with anticipation.

"...Okay. I'll tell you some." Mob smiled at her nervously. That was when he sipped his tea before spitting it out in one go. "W-what kind of t-tea is this?!" It was so bitter that his entire mouth felt horrible. His face began to turn pale.

Hotaru's aunt and Hotaru burst out into short laughter. "I-it's a very bitter tea… W-we... succeeded in...pranking y-you!" Hotaru grabbed at her stomach as if to stop herself from laughing too much.

Mob sighed at the two. "Please don't joke around too much."

"Sorry about that, Hope. I couldn't stop her from brewing that." Hotaru's aunt replied with a sheepish smile.

"Okay, okay…" Hotaru went behind the counter. "I'll brew you a really good one. No more jokes, okay?"

"...Okay." Mob nodded in agreement and then he muttered to her. "Maybe you two are scarier than urban legends and grandmas."

"EHHH?!" Hotaru cried out. "Whyyy?! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! So don't be mad anymore, Hope!"

Mob let out a small laugh. He smiled warmly at the two. "I know. I was kidding. I'm not mad, Taru, so please brew me a tasty tea this time."

She sighed in relief before smiling brightly at him. "You got it!"

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who story alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story: Kino46 and Lu (Guest)!**

**Lu: Since you're a guest reviewer, I couldn't PM you a thank you note, so I'll do it here! Thank you very much for the review and I'm glad that you are enjoying the story~! **

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	9. Lemon Tea

**Here is yet another update! Enjoy!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"I had a long dream." Mob sipped his lemon tea - or to put it simply, his hot lemon water. The sourness of the lemon shot through his nerves, waking him up, before the sweet tanginess rested in his mouth. Somehow, it was calming and made him feel warm inside again. "In this dream, I was friendless with no one supporting me. But even then, I tried my best to live in that dream and to forgive anyone who did me wrong."

"That sounds unpleasant. Were you relieved that it was all a dream when you woke up?" Hotaru also drank her lemon tea.

"Yes. It made me feel lucky to have my friends and my family...and it strengthened my desire to have the qualities of the type of person I want to be." He looked down at his tea in a serious manner.

"And what would that be?"

"To be even more grateful towards what I already have." Mob closed his eyes for a moment as if relishing the present time.

She smiled gently at him. "Family and friends, huh…" She glanced out the window in a daze. "When it comes to family and friends, we might think about love and everything surrounding love."

He looked up at her curiously. "Love…?"

"Yes, love… After all, don't you think it's strange how everyone worships love, but takes it for granted when they do have it? And then once they lose that love, they become obsessive over blaming others for losing that love or end up falling into despair - filled with regrets about how they took it for granted." She leaned against the back of her chair, fidgeting with her fingers. "You know, Hope. I feel like people are innately selfish, but even then, the only thing we can do as one of those people is to do our best to be grateful for what we already have, right?"

"...I don't know about whether people are innately selfish or not, but being thankful for what you already have isn't a bad thing to do - or at least, it wouldn't be a waste of time. Don't you think so, Taru?" Mob set his cup down as he locked eyes with her. She stayed silent. "At the very least, I want to believe that I can do it." The resolve in his eyes strengthened.

Hotaru smiled again. "As I thought, Hope is strong, even if you might not think so yourself. To be able to live in that kind of dream and still be able to do your best to forgive those who do you wrong. Not many are capable of doing that, you know."

That was when Mob's cheeks flushed a light pink. "It's only because of everyone around me… If it wasn't for them, I don't know how I could have survived in that kind of dream."

"I see… Because of everyone around, huh…" She leaned against her arm as she used her teaspoon to swirl the lemon tea in her cup absentmindedly. That was when he noticed a lonely emptiness in her eyes - almost out of place. When he tried to focus on her eyes again, she smiled at him brightly, erasing any signs of that emptiness in the next second.

"Now then," she clapped her hands together. "We can't have us being all serious the entire time!" She stood up from her seat. "Let's listen to some cheerful music and drink a new cup of tea. This time with honey!"

Mob nodded in agreement. "I do like cheerful music!" He smiled at her in a warm manner.

"I do too since it relieves stress, just like what tea does." She then skipped towards the radio delightfully. "Now then… Which song should I play…?"

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who story alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story: The Name Is Greed, animefairy299, and Neptunia!**

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	10. Indigo Punch Tea

**Happy Thanksgiving (week) to those who live in America! Since I'm going on a company retreat next week, I most likely won't update then, so there will be a double update for this week instead!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"Big brother, where are you headed out to? Weren't we going to go the shop together later?" Ritsu called out to his brother from the sofa as his older brother paused in his steps towards the door.

After a moment of hesitation, Mob answered in a reassuring manner. "Just going somewhere for a bit. I'll be back in time."

"Oh, are you meeting your friends?" Ritsu smiled at him.

"Ahh… No. Not exactly..." His older brother immediately began to head towards the door without stopping.

"...How suspicious." Ritsu murmured to himself as he soon began to follow his big brother. "Don't tell me a suspicious person is forcing him to meet with them…" He tapped his foot lightly against the ground. After all, Mob was no longer working with Reigen, so there was no particular reason for his brother to leave the house. "Doesn't seem like the club either…"

By the time he reached the building that his brother went into, he paused. "Keika… Cafe…?" He didn't think that his brother was the type to go to cafes often. "Why is he here?" When he secretly peeked inside the cafe through the window, he spotted his brother with a girl. "Who is she?" He didn't recognize her from anywhere - not their school or neighborhood. Despite this, he could sense a peaceful and warm atmosphere between them. Somehow, the brother in the cafe seemed a bit different from his usual self - almost as if he felt more comfortable in there.

Feeling a bit relieved that his brother wasn't being tricked by some evil person, he stood up with a smile gracing his lips. "I'm glad that my brother has someone outside of school who he can talk to now… She doesn't seem like a bad person either." Coming to that conclusion, he turned around and began to walk away.

Meanwhile, Mob looked out the window and noticed a shadow walking away from it. "...Ritsu…?" He whispered to himself.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Hope?" Hotaru finished pouring the tea into his cup.

"Ah, no, it's nothing." Mob shook his head and then glanced down at his cup. "So what tea is this one?" The dark navy color was fascinating to him.

"It's called Indigo Punch tea. Isn't it pretty? We just recently got it, so I wanted to share it with you. I also added in a little bit of honey for a touch of sweetness." She sipped it herself. "Mmm… So delicate and earthy…"

He also took a sip. The fruity flavors were crisp, but also bright and light. However, as she said, there was a hint of earthiness to it that he never expected. The touch of sweetness binded everything together into a nice orchestral flavor of colorful fruits and flowers. "That's really good."

"Now then!" Hotaru's eyes widened with excitement coloring her voice. "Tell me more stories about your school life!"

"Eh?" Mob blinked in surprise. "But isn't it mundane for you?"

"...What are you talking about?" Hotaru pouted as she crossed her arms. "Your stories are so interesting to me. So don't decide on your own if something is boring for me or not."

He let out a short breathy laugh. "Okay, I won't do that. Then what do you want to hear next?"

She grabbed the teapot to pour them more tea. "Well… How about something that happened this week?" He was about to agree when he noticed how shaky her hand was, compared to normal, when she was pouring the tea from the teapot.

"Is your hand okay?" He asked her worriedly.

She let out a small laugh. "It's okay. It happens sometimes, so there's nothing to worry about. So are you going to tell me about something that happened this week or not?" She grinned at him with excitement.

"Oh… Okay." He smiled, glancing at her hand for one last time, before diving into his story.

By the time he almost finished his story, he realized that he really did have nothing to worry about as she managed to pour the rest of the tea without any problems.

"So? What happened after that?" She asked as she sipped her tea.

"Well… You see..." He then continued talking about the end of his story with a relieved smile.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who story alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story!**

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	11. UncertainTea

**Here is the second update for this week!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"I wonder if I'll do well at the marathon." Mob murmured to Hotaru. He seemed a little unconfident about the entire thing.

"What are you talking about?" Hotaru shook him by the shoulders. "You worked so hard for this and trained super diligently! I'm sure good things will happen!"

"..." He was still a bit too quiet for her tastes.

She let out a small sigh and then smacked him on the back a little to get his attention. Clearly, it did too good of a job as he stared at her with a subtle expression that said '_what was that for?'_. She smiled at him apologetically. "Anyways, even if you don't make it to the top ten, you're always welcome to come to the cafe that day for some nice comforting tea as congratulations for participating in the marathon, got it?"

"So… in other words...you mean that I'll do okay in the marathon?" Mob blinked.

"Of course! You are Hope for a reason, aren't you?" She pointed out with a big smile. "As long as you do your very best, you have nothing to regret about. So keep your chin up and be proud of yourself. After all, you're constantly improving. Truly, that side of your is admirable to me." She sat back down on her seat and patted him on the shoulder. "Others might not see it, but I do. So trust me!"

"Then do you think that I can finish it on at least tenth position?" He asked her quietly, looking hesitant.

"Hope, did you not practice enough?" Hotaru countered his question with her own. "If you didn't practice enough, then you might not even get tenth position, but if you feel like you practiced with all of your heart and soul, then you have nothing to worry about. You'll definitely get tenth position as long as nothing unexpected happens during it."

Relief pooled into his eyes. "That's good to hear."

"Now then… Let me pour you some more tea." She stood up and grabbed the teapot swiftly, but before she could pour it, her hand lost all of its strength within seconds of grabbing it.

_CRASH!_

She stared at the broken shards of the teapot and the hot liquid that began to spread on the floor. Shock enraptured her as she stood there frozen.

Her aunt came running down the hallway. "What happened?!" She glanced at the floor and understood what to do next. "Don't worry about the teapot, Taru. Go sit there and chat with Hope instead. I'll clean this up."

"But-"

"No but's, Taru. Go sit down." Her aunt's gaze sharpened as she grabbed a mop and a dustpan.

"...Okay." She tugged on Mob's sleeve and motioned to him to sit near the windows instead. Once they got settled into their new seats, Mob noticed how sad and dejected Hotaru seemed. She touched her teacup lightly in an absent-minded manner.

"...Taru." Mob called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?" She smiled timidly at him. Somehow, this weakened side of her made his heart hurt.

"If you would like, I can tell you in more detail about the route of the marathon." He had not planned on telling her about this, but for now, it seemed like a good idea.

Her expression immediately brightened up. "Yes! Tell me more about it! I want to know!"

That was when he knew that he had made the right decision.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who story alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story!**

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	12. Friend - Part 1

**Decided to double-update today since it's Black Friday and I miraculously happened to have some time in my hands!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"Hotaru, we have to evacuate!" Her aunt pulled Hotaru by the arm.

"But auntie, Hope is out there! Do you think he's okay? The marathon… I didn't even get to-"

That was when her aunt held her by the arms securely. "Hotaru… I'm certain that Hope will be alright since the evacuation order is for everyone." Despite reassuring her, there was a hint of worry about the young male in her voice. Nevertheless, she did her best to pretend that all was alright for the sake of her niece's mental health.

"But if I leave, then will I ever see Hope again? Will I never see my friend again?" Hotaru's eyes blurred with tears. "I don't know how to contact him. I don't even know his real name, auntie."

The younger female sniffled. "Am I going to lose my only friend like this?" She rubbed her eyes roughly.

She then grabbed onto her aunt's clothes desperately. "I thought that I was going to change with him… I thought that watching him will give me some semblance of what life is really like. I don't want this, auntie! Why does this have to happen? Why is everyone so selfish? Why am _I_ so selfish?"

Hotaru finally sobbed aloud, knowing that she was acting like a childish fool, but even so, her fear of losing Mob - her only friend - felt real and was real.

Her aunt's eyes swam with tears as she pulled her niece into a tight hug. "It's okay, honey… You'll definitely see your friend again… And if need be, I'll even look for him for you since I'm sure he thinks of you as his friend too."

Before she could reply back, Hotaru began to lose strength in her arms as she tried to move them to hug her aunt back. Instead, they hung to her side listlessly. It was as if her energy continued to drain out of her. Then, all she could feel was how the strength in her legs seeped out of her like water.

Even though she could see through her blurred vision that her aunt was saying something, it merely sounded like jumbled up sounds. Horror permeated her thoughts, but there was nothing more that she could do. And that was when she finally passed out.

"Hotaru!" Fear enraptured her heart as she held onto her niece protectively. "Wake up!"

"..." Hotaru remained motionless in her arms as if she was sleeping peacefully.

"Why does this have to…" Her aunt bit her bottom lip.

_It hurt. _

Her heart hurt.

She wished that she could absorb all of the pain that her niece had to go through, but she could do nothing.

_She was useless. _

And as she thought, her heart truly hurt over that.

A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she then touched her niece's forehead with her own. "Don't worry, Hotaru. You'll be safe. I got you."

All worries and fear soon vanished, leaving behind determination and resolve in the deepest depths of her eyes.

"I won't let you get hurt. I will _never _let you get hurt again."

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who story alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story!**

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	13. Friend - Part 2

**Second special update! Also, this story will have 20 chapters total since I finished writing it (I just need to edit it and fix up a few things)! **

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"It's been a week, huh…" Hotaru's aunt gazed out the window, staring at the huge green plant. "-since that broccoli looking thing appeared…"

Hotaru sighed. "Who cares about some broccoli… If we can eat it, then maybe it'll be something interesting." Irritation was clearly plaguing her voice.

"Now, now… Are you still mad about us having to evacuate a week before?" Her aunt chuckled and wiped the cup down with a towel.

She sat up straight and shook her head. "No, I'm not mad about that. Thank you for helping me evacuate, even though I fainted."

Her aunt's smile warmed. "You're welcome, Hotaru."

That was when the door to the cafe swung open.

And that was when Hotaru stood up from her seat.

She stared at the customer with wide eyes.

"Hope… You're here."

"I'm sorry for not coming here last week, but I guess it's to be expected with the evacuation and the broccoli…" He smiled at them apologetically.

Hotaru took a few steps towards him before running into his arms. She tightly embraced him as she buried her face into the crevice of his neck. Startled, he looked at her in surprise. Her tears stained his shirt as she started to cry softly to herself. "W-what a relief… that you're alive and well, Hope. I… I thought that I was never going to see you again…"

Not knowing what to do, he hesitantly patted her head to calm her down. "I'm okay, Taru. So don't worry…"

She nodded timidly. Before she removed herself from him, however, she soon felt dizzy as if she hadn't slept in a while for some reason. Discomfort in her heart began to grow and she finally took a step away from him. It seemed as though everything around her turned blurry. She took a deep breath and then collapsed into Mob's arms as he cried out her nickname in shock. And once again, she lost herself into the darkness.

"Hope, keep her like that. I'm going to call the ambulance and her parents." Her aunt dashed into the back of the cafe and made the appropriate phone calls.

After the ambulance took her away with her seemingly uncaring parents accompanying her, Mob stood there in silence as he watched the vehicle go away. It was only until Hotaru's aunt put her hand on his shoulder. "Come into the cafe… I know that you're a bit shocked right now, so we should drink a cup of tea to relax."

Once they sat down with cups of tea, he looked up at her in concern. "Is she okay? Why did she faint?"

"It's okay, Hope. There's nothing to worry about. Taru will be alright." She smiled at him reassuringly. "She only gets like that when immensely stressed."

"So it's a psychological thing?" He sounded distressed. "Then why did she get really stressed this time?"

"..." Her aunt let out a small sigh as she stared down at her cup. "It's because my niece really cares about you. She thought that she lost her friend forever during the evacuation period and since there was no way to contact you, she couldn't even know if you were okay or not."

"She was...worried about me?" Mob's eyes widened, feeling touched by what he had just heard. At the same time, he felt guilty for being the cause of Hotaru's distress.

"Don't feel guilty. It's not like you asked her to be worried about you. She knows the consequences and she abides by them. She wouldn't like it if you blamed yourself either." She admonished him in a maternal manner.

"Okay…" Mob sipped his tea in an absent-minded manner. "Is there anything I can do for her?"

"...You can always keep being her friend until the very end." She smiled at him brightly. "Are you up for that kind of heavy role?"

Mob smiled as he nodded firmly at her. "I can do that." Somehow, his expression brightened. "Then that means that she'll also be my friend until the very end."

She let out a nice laugh. "You sound very dependable. Then I'll be counting on you!"

He nodded again. "Yes, I'll do my best to be her friend until the end."

"Now then…" Her aunt, picking up her niece's habit of changing the subject, smiled warmly at him. "Tell me what happened during the evacuation, so that I can tell Taru something fun later."

"Eh?" Mob placed his cup down as his ears tinted pink. "I… Well… Okay…"

That was when her aunt let out another hearty laugh, calming down his fears and worries.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who story alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story: Kino46!**

**Kino46: Thank you so much for your review! It was pleasant for me to read! I also like Hotaru a lot, so it's great to see others liking her too. :) As for the danger flags... It's just getting started. XD But despite all those flags, glad that it's your cup of tea~ This story has been a pleasure for me to write, after all - and is also, my cup of tea~ haha **

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	14. Relief

**Quick update since I don't have much time this week.**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

"Auntie, I'm here." Mob entered the cafe with a shy smile. Usually, Hotaru was there to greet him, but for some reason, he did not spot her at the counter. "Is Taru not here today?"

"It's good to see you again, Hope!" Hotaru's aunt smiled at him in a warm and welcoming manner. "Taru's resting right now, but she'll be up in an hour. If you want to wait for her, you are welcome to stay, but you can also go if you want since an hour is a long time."

"I…" Mob then sat down at the seat near the counter. "I think I'll wait for her." His shy smile turned a bit brighter and warmer than before.

"Then I'll give you some cookies for you to snack on." Her aunt threw him a thumbs up as she went to the back of the cafe to retrieve some cookies for him.

"Thank you, auntie." He then glanced at the door, wondering when Hotaru was going to wake up.

After an hour passed, a sleepy Hotaru opened the door. For a good minute, she did not notice Mob at all, but after that, she recognized him at the counter and smiled a sleepy one to him. "Hope, you're here…!" She grabbed the teacups from the shelf. "So what tea do you want to try today?"

"You can choose for me since I like whatever you choose, Taru." Mob's expression seemed to be lighter than before.

Hotaru's cheeks flushed a little and she smiled softly at him, but in the next second, she burst out into laughter. "What if I give you the worst tasting tea again?!"

Mob grimaced a bit. "That would be troubling if that happens...again."

She patted him on the shoulder. "Well, you have nothing to worry about since I don't want you to drink disgusting tea ever again."

He smiled in relief after hearing that from her.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who story alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story: Vick3658!**

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	15. Counting Days

**Since the other one is really short, here's another update.**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Hotaru stood frozen, facing the busy street, with a pained and grim expression.

It wasn't as if she didn't know. It was more like she did not want to know, but no matter what others said, ignorance was not bliss, so in a twisted sense of the way, she was relieved to know the truth even clearer than before - no matter how bitter it was.

She stood with her back facing the white huge building. The cold wind blew against her.

* * *

"_It would be for the best if you stayed here." The older man with the white coat told her with a stern expression._

"_..." Hotaru grasped the hems of her shirt tightly before releasing. "No. I don't think I will." She had made up her mind - since a while ago. "I would feel suffocated and I wouldn't be able to do what I want to do if I stayed here."_

"_But don't you want to-"_

"_I do." She interrupted. "But even if I were to for a bit longer, what would be the point? The only people who would be satisfied are my parents and perhaps you. But what does that make me? A doll? If I can't… No, if I'm not allowed or am stripped of my freedom to live the way that I want to… To feel alive again - truly alive and not in the way that doctors define as being alive, then what is the point?" A sardonic smile graced her lips._

_He sighed heavily to himself. He looked at her with a sadness that could not be described clearly. Was it pity? She could not tell. "Well, I can accept that, but if you faint one more time, then we will need to hospitalize you."_

"_..." Her expression blanked as she then smiled sadly at him. "Understood. I can accept that."_

_He sighed again, but in relief. "Thank you."_

"_Well then… I think I'll head out now. But thank you for helping me so far…" She stood up from her seat and bowed to him politely. He could only smile painfully at her._

* * *

She heavily walked towards the cafe when she heard a familiar voice.

"Can we go to the store before going home?"

It was Hope.

But it was not just Hope. He was with other people.

She hid in an alley out of surprise. Of course, he would have other friends. After all, hadn't he told her about them in his stories? But then again, seeing reality and hearing them as stories seemed radically different. She peeked out of the alley, watching them briefly walk away from her. A female student from the same school was about to pass her when she grabbed their arm. They looked at her, startled.

"Excuse me. Sorry for scaring you, but do you know who that guy with the bobcut hair is?" She pointed at Mob carefully.

"Hm…" The girl squinted her eyes and then let out a sigh. "Oh… It's better not to go for that loser. His brother is way cooler." Irritation flickered inside of Hotaru.

"I don't care about his brother. I just want to know the name of the boy that I pointed at." She articulated to her in a serious manner.

"Oh! U-um… It's Shigeo Kageyama… I think." The female student then shook her arm from Hotaru's grasp, shooting her a dirty look and walking off with a huff.

Hotaru faced the direction Mob was walking in with a dazed expression. "Shigeo… Kageyama…" She then stared up at the sky - and smiled sadly. "Ah, it's the sky that he likes…" She bit her bottom lip hard. Her eyes blurred and she held onto the hems of her shirt. It was such a typical sunny day and yet, to her, it seemed like the darkest day that she had ever seen.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she covered her eyes with her hands. "Ngh…"

She could hear the carefree laughter of the students around her.

"_I want to live too, you know?_"

* * *

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	16. Parallel, Not Perpendicular

**Here's an update! Merry (Early) Christmas! Bit busy because of the holidays, so updating now since I have a few minutes to spare.**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Mob sighed as he walked towards the cafe. He wanted to tell Taru about how he got rejected by Tsubomi, but despite this setback, he was still proud of the fact that he was able to confess to her anyways. By the time he reached the cafe, he paused in his steps.

"Temporarily… closed?" He blinked, unsure on how to handle this. After a few seconds of silence, he finally checked the inside of the cafe by looking into the window, but it seemed like they were open for half a day. "That's odd…" He squinted his eyes further and checked the time on the clock. "Lunchtime… I guess they're eating out for lunch today."

He thought about waiting for them in front of the store, but people kept staring at him, which made him feel a little self-conscious of himself. "Maybe, I can come back later…" As he walked the route that he took before, he noticed a large crowd from a short distance away. An ambulance was behind the crowd.

He glanced at them, pausing in his steps. "I wonder what happened." But since the ambulance was there, he felt relieved that someone was there to take care of the situation. "I hope the crowd leaves by the time I come back… I don't think Taru would like it if people who aren't customers crowded near the cafe, especially if they can grab the attention of potential customers…" He then tapped his foot against the ground. "Or maybe she would like it…" He continued to walk with a small smile on his face. "I should ask her later today…"

* * *

'_No…_' From a distance away, within the large crowd, Hotaru laid on the ambulance stretcher with tears trickling down her cheek. She could see from the corner of her eye of Mob's figure. '_Please don't go… Please look over here…_'

He only glanced, unable to see her through the crowd. And then he turned.

'_Hope… Kageyama-kun…_' She wanted to yell out to him, but she could not move. She could not speak or yell. She was helpless. '_Shigeo…_'

Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and her aunt focused only on her. No one could hear her screams, her agony, and her despair of how he never saw her. '_Don't leave me… Just once… Just once, let me see you…_'

He paused in his step, igniting hope inside of her. However, they moved her into the ambulance and by the time he looked in her direction, the doors had closed.

'_It's...not fair…_'

Her eyes felt heavy and before she could call out his name in her head again, she had passed out.

* * *

Mob blinked in surprise, facing the direction of the large crowd. "Dimple, what are you doing here? I thought that you were going to stay in my room to relax."

Dimple shrugged. "I can do what I want, but you…" He looked at the younger male with a concerned expression. He then turned to face the large crowd, watching the ambulance leave. "Do you even know…?"

"What's wrong, Dimple? Is there something in the crowd?" He squinted his eyes to look carefully at the large crowd that was now dispersing.

Dimple only sighed, looking at Mob with a knowing expression. There was something else in his gaze, but Mob could not tell what it was. "Well, I suppose it's better this way."

"What is?" Mob questioned him.

"It's nothing. Let's head back for today, alright?" Dimple's expression seemed solemn, but he soon brightened up, so that Mob would stop asking him questions.

"...Okay. But I'm going to come back to the cafe later today." Mob informed the green spirit.

"Yeah, yeah… Do whatever you want." He floated away from the younger boy. Before they left, however, he glanced one last time in the general direction of the ambulance, making him lag behind the younger boy. "...I guess it's about time…" He then looked at Mob solemnly from behind.

* * *

**Thank you for the reviews/follows/favorites: Kino46!**

**Kino46: Thank you for the review! Please don't cry! That'll make me want to cry. T^T Anyways, I hope you continue to enjoy this fanfic, regardless of how it goes.**

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	17. Wish

**As a huge Christmas present, I will be updating all of the chapters. Hope you enjoy it! :)**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Hotaru looked out the window in a listless manner, despite how blurry her vision was. The sky remained bright and blue - just as she remembered when she was in the cafe with Mob. From the side of her bed, her aunt poured her favorite Rooibos tea into a cup.

"Rooibos?" Her voice cracked. Despite how weak she sounded, there was a hint of melancholic joy. "I can smell it… So calming…" Since she was not allowed to drink tea, her aunt could only let her smell the teas that she loves. Usually, this was when tears would sprout in the corner of her eyes, but today, it was not the time to do so.

"Do you like it?" Her aunt tried to smile brightly at Hotaru, but she found that the younger girl continued to look outside the window - perhaps, as a way to stop herself from crying in front of her aunt.

"...Auntie." Hotaru called out to her in a firm voice.

Her aunt stayed silent for a full minute. She could not find it in her heart to smile. It hurt so much. It hurt so bad that her beloved niece had to go through this. It did not help that her parents were so heartless, wanting to no longer be by her side when they learned that she had a terminal illness - _such monsters_. Her aunt bit her bottom lip and then smiled normally again. "Yes, darling?"

"In the drawer of the table next to my bed at home… There's a letter for Hope. Can you give it to him?" Subtle pain burst into her expression as she then slowly grabbed her shirt with her hand over her heart. She realized again as to how foolish she had been - so foolish. She believed that she would have more time with him and with her aunt, but when was life that kind to her? She took a deep breath, stopping herself from crying. "His name is Shigeo Kageyama."

"Hotaru, when you recover, you can give it to-"

"I can't." Hotaru shook her head and then stared at her hands. Her breath hitched in her throat as she could feel the slight burning behind her eyes. "I… You know, auntie? I wanted to be friends with him a bit longer…"

"Ho-Hotaru, I-" Her aunt could no longer hold back her tears. Her voice shook and she trembled, clearly overwhelmed by her sadness.

"I wanted to introduce him to more of my favorite tea...as...my first friend…" She bit her bottom lip. Tears dropped down onto her blanket as she looked to the side towards her aunt. "But… Ngh..." She tried to grasp onto the blankets hard. "But it seems like it's too late!" She smiled painfully at her aunt as tears streamed down her face. "In the end… I couldn't say anything to him. I…"

"..." Her aunt, crying softly to herself, looked down at the red liquid of the tea. On the surface of the tea, she could see the reflection of her tired and despaired gaze looking at herself. '..._No, Hotaru… I am the one who should have told him. I am the one who should suffer for making the wrong choice. Even now, I didn't make the right choice. Haven't I swore to myself that I would never let her get hurt again? I'm pathetic._'

"Auntie, I'm scared of dying-" Hotaru almost choked before continuing, "-and yet, now that the time has come, I need to let go… I need to let go of my tea, my parents, you-"

This made her aunt stand up from her seat, tears streaming down her face as her heart turned painfully. "No! Hotaru, I…"

"-my dreams, and my life. But most of all, I need to let go of hope." Both Hope's, the hope of her living and Hope or Shigeo Kageyama, but perhaps, they weren't that different to her, after all - because in the end, he really was her hope. "And that's what hurts me the most." She whispered to herself.

"I really wanted to see… I wanted to be the witness - the one to see him become the person he wanted to be." Her voice started to weaken. She used most of her strength to gaze out of the window - to see the bright blue sky, to see the typical sunny day that Mob loves. She could no longer smile as she did not have the strength to do so.

However, she looked at her aunt again with difficulty. "You know, auntie… I really love you. And I really love everyone. I just wish… I had more time to show that, but...in the end, there's not much I can do in a broken family, can I?"

At this moment, her aunt held her niece's hand tightly, sobbing a little louder than before.

Hotaru's vision started to darken and it took more effort to breathe, each breath becoming shallower by the second. "And...thank you, auntie...for being…...by my side-" She squeezed her aunt's hand with as much strength as possible. "-when it counted...the...most..…"

"I love you too, Hotaru, so please…" Her aunt grasped her hand tighter. "Please... I…" Noticing how listless Hotaru was and how she had closed her eyes, she pulled her niece into her arms, sobbing harder. "No! Don't leave me… Hotaru! Sweetheart… Please don't go! I still… I have yet to tell… Ngh, Hotaru, don't leave me like this… Please… I… I'm so sorry, my darling… I have failed you..."

Hotaru's aunt felt like she was falling into a stormy sea, all black and suffocating.

_You know, auntie… I really love you._

The sincerity in her voice - her aunt could remember it all.

She finally placed her niece down onto the comfortable bed gently. She wiped her tears roughly.

"You would get mad if I felt guilty and became depressed over your death, wouldn't you?" She smiled sadly at her. "But just for a little bit, let me feel that way, so that I can properly grieve over you. And then after that, I'll try to live a life that you approve of." She moved a piece of hair that was on her niece's face to the side. "Even though you're younger than me, you truly were like a beacon of light to me. Was it not you who showed me the beauty and pleasure of tea? Isn't that why I opened Keika Cafe in the first place?"

She placed a light kiss on her niece's forehead and then gazed out the window towards the sky. "If you're watching over me, then this time, I will show you the beauty of the world through my eyes." She then closed her eyes, feeling the soft embrace of the warm wind entering the room.

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**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	18. Mob Finds Out the Truth

**2 more chapters until it's over.**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Hotaru's aunt walked towards the cafe in her formal black outfit, her eyes puffy. At this time and day, she would have been brewing tea with Hotaru and talking with Mob. When she was close to the riverbank near the cafe, she spotted a familiar figure sitting at the edge.

It was Hope - or as Hotaru put it, Shigeo Kageyama.

"Hope." She called out to him. Mob immediately stood up and turned with a smile before freezing in place. He noticed how exhausted she seemed and that she was wearing clothes that were meant for funerals.

"Aun...tie…?" He hesitantly asked.

She walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes flickered of guilt and profound despair. "Hope, I'm sorry."

"What?"

"The truth is… Taru… My niece… She passed away, due to her illness."

Mob took a step back from shock. "But I thought it was psychological? But wait, you never confirmed… I just assumed…" He looked at the ground in a daze.

"I know that I should have told you the truth about her illness. In fact, I should have done it early on, but I was scared that Taru would have despaired if I did." She then shook her head roughly. "No, I should have brought you to the hospital, but...she couldn't be left alone since her parents weren't there…" Conflicting emotions appeared on her face. "I… I really have nothing to say." She smiled painfully at him. "I should have brought you to the hospital and told you the truth. That is what I should have done. I'm really sorry, Hope."

He looked up at her with wide eyes as if he still couldn't believe that Taru died.

"Hope, today is my niece's funeral. Would you like to come visit her?" She asked him in a hoarse voice. He meekly nodded, clearly still in shock.

By the time they reached the funeral location, he shakily walked in and entered a wide room that was filled with the smell of incense and flowers. In the middle of the pile of flowers, he saw a single photo - of Hotaru.

That was when he realized the reality of the truth.

Hotaru had really passed away.

There would no longer be tea time. There would no longer be happy music, bright sunny skies, Hotaru's welcoming smiles, her encouragement, her pouts, her pranks, and the deep beautiful world from the eyes of Hotaru.

She was no longer going to be there in that cafe, waiting for him and his stories.

She was no longer going to excitedly tell him about the different teas around the world.

She was no longer going to hug him and worry about him.

She…

By the time he snapped out of it, he had already fallen to his knees, staring at her warm smile in the photo.

Her aunt whispered. "Hotaru… My niece…"

That was when he realized that he never knew her real name - never had the chance to call her by her real name. "Ho...taru…" His voice cracked.

"She wanted to see you become the person that you wanted to be." Her aunt did her best to stay strong. "She regrets not being able to see that." She then went over to her bag and pulled out the letter.

"Hope, this is a letter to you from her." Her aunt gently handed the letter into his hands. She helped him stand back up and led him out of the funeral. When they reached the entrance, she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Get some rest. And… You don't need to come back to the cafe anymore since I'm going to move away from the city to recover after the funeral is over."

He blankly nodded at her words.

The cafe, the place where he met her, was going to disappear.

The cafe, his other safe haven, was going to cease to exist.

Where was he to go now?

But there was nothing he could do anymore…

"Hope, thank you for being Hotaru's friend. You made her really happy and that, to me and most likely her, is the biggest thing that anyone could have done for her. So thank you." She bowed low to him before sadly watching him heavily walk away with the letter in his hand.

By the time he snapped out of it, he realized that he was back at the same place as before - the riverbank near the cafe. The only difference was that it was night now. However, that did not stop him from sitting at the edge of the riverbank.

"...I…" He stared at the water flowing by. A small sigh escaped from him as he held the letter in front of him gently. "...Hotaru…"

It was time - time for him to read her letter...

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**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	19. To Shigeo Kageyama

**Only one more chapter after this one!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

_To Shigeo Kageyama,_

_It's weird to call you Shigeo after all of those months of calling you Hope, isn't it? The reason why I called you hope was on a whim though - a selfish whim of mine. I wanted to see if I could see a miracle or some kind of hope occurring inside of you - the you who stared out the window listlessly that day. _

_It wasn't supposed to turn into friendship and I wasn't expecting much. I chose you because you were the only one in the cafe that day. It was just supposed to be a shallow relationship where I shared my love for tea with anyone - my last wish before I passed away. But as time went by, in the end, you truly became hope to me - my hope to live a fulfilling life. _

_And so, your stories and your presence in my life helped me live every week, just one more week - to be more lively than I first expected or hoped to. Because I wanted to see… see so desperately of the way you live - the way you change for yourself. And by the time I realized how strong our friendship was, I could not stop myself from being reminded of you everywhere I went. _

_Hope was everywhere; you were everywhere. Even now, as I look outside, I see the sky that you like to look at. _

_Do you still remember the time when we talked about our favorite type of sky? _

_I wish I could see the miracle of rainbows, fluffy clouds, and light blue skies painted in the sky with you. It would have been a lot of fun pointing out what each cloud looked like. _

_But life really isn't nice to me. Apparently, when I faint again, I'll be forced into the hospital and who knows when I'll get to see you then. I'll probably die when that happens, but before I die, I wish I could see you and hear more of your stories again. _

_So even after I die, I have another selfish request. Can you tell me some stories whenever you visit me? _

_That would be quite lovely. Maybe bring some tea too! _

_Anyways, just know that I'll always be supporting you and that no matter what happens to me, please remember that I believe in you. Don't let my death affect you and stray you from your goal. _

_I want to see you. I want to see the you who changes into the you who you wanted to be for so long. _

_So show me. Show me as a way of remembering the person that I am. That'll be the best way for me to feel like I won't be forgotten by you - forgotten by everyone who knew the real me. _

_And finally, thank you, Shigeo Kageyama, for being in my life, for letting me fulfill my selfish whims, for telling me all of those stories, for being my friend, and for being my hope. _

_I wish I could have called you by your real name. How nice it feels to say your name right now… How nice it would have been if I said it in front of you… But I guess it can't be helped right now… _

_So goodbye, Shigeo. Goodbye and farewell, my precious friend. _

_I hope all of the good remains in your life now and in the future. _

_Your tea-obsessed friend,_

_Hotaru_

* * *

Droplets of his tears stained the letter he was reading. Mob wiped his eyes roughly with his sleeves. He did not want to ruin the letter in any way. It was too precious to him.

That was when he noticed an abundant amount of fireflies flying about.

"Ah, it's _hotaru_ (fireflies)." He could only gaze at them as their glowing lights began to fade away, leading the way for new fireflies to release their light into the world. "Just like her…"

_So tragically beautiful…_

"Hotaru…" Tears trickled down his cheeks again and his breath hitched in his throat. "I… I will continue to do my best, so look after me, okay?"

The fireflies only flew around him as they tried to reach the sky, but the enchanting beauty of these attempts made him cry a little harder. "Hotaru…" He called out her name, and yet, there was only silence.

The warm, gentle wind soon embraced him as his feelings of loneliness began to dissipate with the wind, reminding him of the time when she embraced him after finding out that he was safe. "Are you worried about me again…?" He whispered to himself.

He then wiped his tears away with his sleeve again. He looked up at the sky with a determined expression. "Watch me, Hotaru. I'll keep being your hope and I definitely won't give up." He stood back up with the letter tucked into his pocket safely. "And I will never forget you, so call me by my name as much as you want now..."

That was when his expression softened as he gazed at the cafe that once made him feel so accepted and warm in the past.

And if he closed his eyes, he could probably smell the rooibos tea and see her waving at him energetically from afar.

_If he closed his eyes, that is..._

He soon shook his head with a melancholic smile.

"...I should head home now…"

* * *

**Please keep the reviews coming because they really help me stay motivated to write and they remind me which fanfics I need to update. :) I also like favorites and follows.**


	20. No Longer Parallel - Final Chapter

**Here is the last chapter! Enjoy!**

"" **\- speech**

_italics_ **\- thoughts/memory/dream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mob Psycho 100.**

* * *

Mob stood in front of a grave with a bouquet of lavender. "Do you remember when you brewed this into a tea, Hotaru?" He asked towards the tombstone. As he placed them on the grave, he sat down comfortably, pouring himself a cup of rooibos tea. He then put down a cup of tea for her too.

"..." There was nothing but absolute silence.

He smiled sadly before continuing. "I finally became the person I wanted to be. Are you proud of me?" Still, there was no sound - there was no voice, _her voice_. "It's only been a couple of months, but I actually became the vice president of the Body Improvement Club!"

Again, nothing.

He stared at her grave with misty eyes. He stared down at his cup as tears began to gather at the corner of his eye. He really didn't want to cry. He swore to himself before coming here that he would not cry in front of her and that he would give her a big bright smile.

_But why was it…?_

Droplets of tears trickled down his cheeks. There was no way for him to hide how he felt.

In the end, he had to face the truth.

The truth of how much he missed her...

Because he truly did miss her dearly...

In fact, he missed her every weekend. But no matter how many times Dimple told him to forget about her, he could never do that.

He would _never_ do that.

He wipes his eyes furiously with his arm sleeve. When he looked up again, he paused, wondering if he was hallucinating - which was something that he rarely assumed of himself.

"...Ho...taru…?"

There she stood in front of him with that welcoming smile of hers.

"_Shigeo._" Her smile widened as her expression brightened. Somehow, she looked so free and content, much more than before. "_Congratulations for becoming the person that you wanted to be. I'm really proud of you!_"

It was _her_ voice.

He wasn't imagining things.

He stood up so suddenly before realizing that she was hugging him. "You're here." He embraced her tightly as if overwhelmed by his own emotions for a moment. "You're actually here with me, Hotaru."

She let out a bright crystal-clear laugh. "_Yes, I am here, Shigeo!_" She patted him on the back before releasing him. "..._It seems like now I can really leave in peace._"

The moment she said that, panic flickered in his eyes. "W-wait!" He grabbed at her hand. "Th-thank you for all of the delicious tea that you made for me! And thank you for encouraging me all this time!" She smiled warmly at him in response.

That was when there were a few moments of comfortable silence between them, while the two gazed into each other's eyes as if reminiscing their memories together.

She took a step towards him and placed her lips on his cheek. He blinked in surprise. She whispered to him quietly. "_Your bright light will last longer than a hotaru (firefly), and I realized over time that you're actually perfect the way you are. Do you know why?_"

"Why…?" He asked quietly, his cheeks flushing pink.

She then took a step back with an affectionate smile towards him. "_Because you're my hope - the hope that shines on those around you. Because you are Shigeo Kageyama, the person who I…_" Her smile flickered of sadness before melting back into affection. "_The person who I cherish the most! Never forget that, okay?!_"

He nodded at her with a dazed expression as he held his cheek with his hand.

"_Now then… this time, it's a real bye-bye, Shigeo_." She put her hands behind her back. "_Perhaps, one day, we can meet again under your favorite sky?_"

Pain flickered in his eyes. He stayed quiet for a moment before nodding minutely. "Yes, we will meet again, but when that time comes, I want to see huge rainbows with fluffy clouds floating around under a bright blue sky instead!"

Her eyes widened in recognition. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she gave him a big bright smile. "_You're right! We'll meet under that kind of sky then_."

"Hotaru…" He could feel the back of his eyes burning.

She rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears. "_Well then… It's time for me to go now, Shigeo._"

He bit his bottom lip. "...Okay." His hands curled into fists before releasing them slowly.

"_Then I'll be heading off now! Goodbye, Shigeo!_" She smiled at him brightly and welcomingly, waving at him energetically - _just like before_.

"Goodbye, Hotaru!" Despite saying those words, tears finally streamed down his face and he took a step towards her, his hand reaching out. But by the time he barely touched her, she faded away, leaving behind the scent of rooibos tea and the grave that stood in front of him.

He stood there in silence, blankly gazing at where she last stood.

That was when he noticed a small firefly passing by her grave.

"_Hotaru_ (firefly)...? How unusual at this time of day and place…" He murmured to himself with a small smile finally forming on his face. After he watched the firefly disappear, he looked up at the bright blue sky that signified a typical sunny day, his favorite.

That was when he spoke to her grave - a little louder than before. "You know… Even if my light now shines on those around me, it isn't just because of my own efforts. It was also because of you, Hotaru, that my light had the courage to do so - because your light shined on me first." His smile turned warmer. "So while your light might not have lasted long in this world, it will last forever in my world - never to be gone again… Because you're Taru, the one whose nickname means '_To be worthy of_'... and your light is truly worthy of being everlasting in my world... as my one and only firefly..."

He soon closed his eyes, enjoying the way the warm wind was embracing him. And somehow, in that very moment, the air seemed cleaner than usual.

Surely, it meant that the day was beautiful - _just the way she was._

_END._

* * *

**Note to readers: Her illness was Friedreich's Ataxia. I might not have gotten it completely right, but I was basing her illness off of that.**


End file.
